Antislipping device.



. J. OTIS.

ANTISLIPPING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 20, 1913.

Patented Jan. 20, 1914.

Sme/nto@ Z e5' a HOWARD J'. OTIS, OF WALTON, OREGON.

ANTISLIPPING DEVICE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 20, 1914.

Application led August 20, 19,13. Serial No. 785,809.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD JENKINS Oris, a citizen of the. United States, residing at Walton,'in the county of Lane and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Antislipping Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a. full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invent-ion relates to antislipping devices to be worn upon the sole of a shoe, and has for its object the provision of a plurality of vacuum cups forming the bearing surface of thedevice, whereby the gripping action is provided to prevent slipping.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the above mentioned character, which is reinforced at the point where it engages the edges of the sole of the shoe, in such a manner as to prolong the life of the device.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a device of the above mentioned character, which is simple as to construction and cheap to manufacture and therefore more commercially desirable than antislipping devices as at present in use.

With these and other objects in view as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a bottom plan View illustrating my device attached to a shoe, Fig. 2 is a side elevation,- Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 3.-3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a plan view of a slightly modified form of my invention.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the body portion of my device, which is construct-ed of rubber of suitable thickness and is preferably rectangular in shape, and so formed as to conform to the shape of the bottom of the shoe sole.

A plurality of annular cups 2 are formed upon the outer surface of the body portion 1, in such a manner as to provide vacuum chambers when subjected to pressure. rIhe suction cups 2 are vulcanized or formed in any suitable manner upon the body portion 1 and are arranged close t-o each other to provide an efficient friction and gripping surface.

Formed integrally with the body portion 1 is a reduced elastic strap member 3, which is adapted to be fitted about the upper toe portion of the shoe, designated A as an en- 'tirety. and which serves to securely hold the device in operative position upon the shoe. The elastic strap member 3 is reduce-l intermediate its ends, thus the portion that fits about the upper face of the shoe in being reduced is not apt to be wrinkled and is less conspicuous at that point.

It is apparent that the strap portion 3 in being of an elastic nature to facilitate its engagement with the shoe is relatively thin with relation to the body portion, and that a great strain thereon would be had at the point where. it engages the side edges of the shoe sole. and in this connection this invention employs a thickened reinforcing portion 4 upon each side of the strap 3 adjacent the point. of its formation with the body portion and of its engagement with the side edges of the shoe sole.

The reinforcing portions 4 are reduced at their upper terminals as at 5, and the upper terminals thereof extend to a point near the upper surface of the strap 3. It will thus be Aseen that the life of the elastic strap 3 is prolonged by the construction and arrangement of the reinforcing portions 4, and that the device is readily applicable to the shoe through the mediuml of the ele-*- ticity of the strap 3.

A modied form of my invention as illustrated in Fig. 4, consists of the provision of diamond shaped vacuum cups 6, instead of the annular cups 2 employed in connection with my preferred form.

It may be desirous to use diamond cups in preference to the annular cups for the purpose of decoration or design and for this reason the provision is made for the use of diamond shaped cups.

In reduction to practice, I have found that the form of my invention, illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above description, as the preferred embodiment is the most efficient and practical; yet realizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of my device will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize the fact that various minor changes in details of construction,

^ madam proportion and arrangement of arts may be resorted to, when required, Without sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention, as defined in the appended clalm.

i Having thus described my invention, l

claim:

An anti-slipping device for shoes compris ing an approximately rectangular body portion, a plurality of suction cups'formed in- 10 tegral with the body portion, an elastic strap formed integral with the sides of the body portion and reduced in width interme iate its terminals and arranged to secure said bod portion to the shoe, and means for rein orcing,- said strap at the point 15 of its formation with the body portion, comprising a thickened portion formed integrally with the strap and body portion and reduced in Width at its upper terminal.

In testimony whereof I -aHx my signature 20 in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGIE ATKINSON.) BERTHA ATKINSON. 

